KatieLoeb

Hi David! We were serving the Moscato Stephano at Rouge by the glass for awhile. Everyone loves it, and it's perfect for sipping sunshine, whilst sitting IN the sunshine! Great analogy! I'm right there with you on the Italian wines. That class was quite informative and I've been making use of that information both professionally, and personally. I've been finding some great bargains of IGT second label Super Tuscan type wines over in NJ (shhh-h-h-h) and have been enjoying those quite regularly. As for your Francophile friends, well, apparently there is a lot more available in the market for them lately as there seems to be a not so silent boycott going on. I'm not sure it's really the best way to make a political statement, but the way we've been handling it here is instructing the servers as to which wines are a good "switch to" choice for customers that are making their displeasure with the French known at tableside, for example, a "Burgundian styled" Pinot Noir from Oregon, or a Bordeaux style blend aged in French oak from Foris Vineyards, etc. That seems to be working well, as we're not down in wine sales overall. Mercifully, the advantage of having a broad list is being able to do that and not lose the sale.

I like my cottage cheese of the low fat variety, small curd and mixed with a little (low fat) sour cream too, just the way my grandma used to eat it. A little salt and pepper and I'm a happy girl until the bowl is empty. Delicious with some fresh berries or sliced peaches tossed in too, if I'm feeling so inclined. I also mix cottage cheese into matzoh meal latkes and then eat them with cinnamon sugar. A good snack during Passover, if I'm feeling observant that year. I'm not this year... Cottage cheese also makes a good substitute for higher fat alternatives like cream cheese or sour cream in dips. Just whirl it through the food processor with the other ingredients and you can make lower fat versions for snacking and parties.

I can't think of anything more romantic than sipping a bottle of chilled Moscato d'Asti accompanied by some really ripe strawberries on a warm summers day with one you love... { big sigh} I LOVE this wine. It's sweet, both literally and figuratively. It makes me giggle too I particularly like the Moscato from Vajra. Very lightly frizzante and quite peachy. YUMMMMMMM...

Martini Beach - above Cabana's and across from the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel @Beach Drive and Decatur. 609-884-1925. Great cocktails and great food. I work down there over the summers, playing sommeliere. They just redecorated and the place is looking lovely. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info.

Jas: Get thee to New Jersey ASAP!!!

I can relate to the Swiss time piece thing. 10AM every fourth Thursday. Really. I guess being chemically controlled has its advantages, or at least its lack of surprises! Oh boo. This just utterly sucks all the joy out of it, doesn't it? There's really nothing vaguely satisfying about pulling up to a big honking plate of KALE or MUSTRD GREENS. Sheesh! A big rare piece of MEAT on the other hand...

Do you suppose you could construct a similar recipe on the Recipe Archive? I'd have done it here but was afraid of those pesky copyright issues. I also don't have the book right in front of me, so would be afraid to leave something out. I'll look over the instructions at home and see if I can make it "generic" enough to avoid copyright infringement issues.

Along this line, check out some Monbazillac. It's also made with the same varietals (semillon, sauvignon and muscadelle) but it's what the locals drink with their foie gras, since they're exporting most of the chateau level wines to make money. Think of it as second growth Sauternes or a lesser known non-cru village wine in terms of price-value ratio. I also love the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, but I'd argue it's a lot lighter weight and way more floral and honeyed in the bouquet than Sauternes and Monbazillac. Less noble rot and more honeysuckle. At least IMHO. Definitely NOT "woody" though. I absolutely loathe it when whatever is in the bottle tastes more like a barrel than it does like juice - no matter what the wine.

I've followed the instructions in my Barbara Kafka Microwave Gourmet book with excellent results. Hardly any stirring, and since the microwave makes the liquid absorb into the rice very slowly and steadily, you get perfect results every time. Brilliant!

That makes this chick I overheard in the bar much less amusing on her own, I guess. Her timing for using the line, however unoriginal, still remains impeccable though.

NeroW: That guy wouldn't have lasted long with me. Picky eaters are a pet peeve of mine and I try not to have them as either friends or S.O.'s. I love to dine out (and in) much too much to let someone else cramp my style that way. I assume he must have had, how shall I say this, other redeeming qualities??? On a side note - best line I ever heard was woman getting hit on in a bar by a jerk that just wouldn't take no for an answer. She finally looked him right in the eye and said, " Can you hammer a railroad spike through a two-by-four with your penis?" "No" "Well sorry then. A girl's gotta have her standards..."

Although I know more than "the average bear" about wine (one would presume I have to in order to do my job), most of the great deals I've found at the PLCB I was directed to by persons far more knowledgeable than myself. You see, the key to expending little or no effort is to surround oneself with folks that are even smarter than you! The other option than requires a little effort is to take some wine classes in your spare time (PM me - I can recommend a few good ones in the Philly area) and expand your knowledge base that way. Also, read the local newspaper wine columns, and read regional or national wine magazines to see what's getting rated as "good/excellent value". More often than not, the actual retail prices are lower than the MSRP that is listed in the article. I happen to like Wine & Spirits magazine because it's not too esoteric or high falutin' and the articles are quite user friendly, even for the average consumer.

I'd never buy ANY really valuable wines from the PLCB (for my personal use - I have NO choice as far as ordering for my restaurants is concerned) no matter how well priced, precisely because of the storage issues you mentioned. If the stores are that hot and they are presumably air-conditioned for the comfort of customers and employees, how hot do you think the warehouses get in the middle of July? I don't know for sure, but I certainly wouldn't risk my hard-earned cash on it. I prefer to buy my higher end stuff from retailers that I know understand the concept of proper temperature control both during transport and at retail. On the other hand, there are some mid-priced and less expensive wines that do come through the PLCB that are a real deal because of their buying power. Last summer I bought a case of Terre di Galatrona that was a second label Super Tuscan at about $14.00/bottle. It was practically criminal at that price. The PLCB bought up boatloads of it and passed the savings on the consumer, presumably because they either didn't realize what they had, or only mark up according to a set formula. I think it's a matter of being judicious about what one purchases through the PLCB and what one will travel to - ahem - other nearby states to purchase. Finding a few really good wine retailers that you trust to hook you up in lieu of the PLCB is always recommended. I buy from Moore Brothers in NJ and DE (my former employers), Corkscrewed in Cherrry Hill, NJ and Bin 604 when I'm in the Baltimore area.

Is this the Red or the Blanc? We currently have the Beaucastel Blanc 1999 on our reserve list and it seems to be drinking well. The slightly higher than ideal temperature storage would be more my concern. I say DRINK IT! I think wine is meant to produce pleasure and not anxiety. When I worked at a specialty wine shop I was always amused by customers that were SO bent out of shape about drinking a bottle at the EXACT NANOSECOND IN THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM that it was at it's "peak". I don't think anyone, even the best trained sommeliers on earth, have ever been able to determine that moment for any given bottle, and I don't think any of us will ever learn a thing about wine unless we occasionally drink something "before" it's prime or "after" it's prime. How do you know the difference if you haven't tasted wine in all stages of evolution? Just my .02, but the anxiety that people have over this never ceases to amaze me.

Aurora and Lamb: Thank you for your thoughtful and even more so, thought provoking responses. It really made me think about all the family members and loved ones that are still near in spirit and influence, but sorely missed.

Wow - what a great thread! Such intellegent and well thought out answers and such a vast array of contemporary and historical figures. I'd have to agree with many of the suggestions thus far. Jefferson would be quite an interesting dinner companion, and being a Philadelphian, I'd have to include Benjamin Franklin as raconteur and interesting dinner companion as well. Moses would be up there for biblical/spiritual company. Being a dinner guest of the Medicis could have been quite educational. I'd love to have dinner with Bono if I had to pick a rock star. A true humanitarian. Oprah would be a top choice for contemporary women that I admire. And I'd love to have a one-on-one dinner/wine tasting with Andrea Immer. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with her after a dinner she hosted in Philadelphia and really enjoyed myself. But I'd want to pick her brain a little bit more about getting ahead in the beverage industry when it tends to be misogynistic in certain (not all) places.

Matzo Latkes are particularly tasty with a little cottage cheese tossed in to the batter. Then you serve them with cinnamon sugar. The big controversy in my family was always whether you were a "dunker" (you dunk your latke into the sugar) or a "shpritzer" (sprinkle the sugar on) with your cinnamon sugar. Kind of like being a "rounder"or a "Channeler" with your corn on the cob.

I had Terrine of Foie Gras and Unagi served with Grapes pickled in Verjus a Roasted Chanterelle and Eggplant Salad and Jurancon Sauce as a first course to a lovely dinner several months ago. Possibly one of the best versions of Unagi I've ever tasted

Please post when the Pig Roast will take place. I'd certainly drive up from Philadelphia with a couple of folks from down this way for that. Sounds like a lot of fun. Perhaps the Pig Roast and a side trip to Picklelicious would be in order. It's a shame Picklelicious didn't exist when I was growing up in Teaneck. I'd have loved that...

Hi Tommy: Both Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market are worth checking out. If you're near the Italian Market you really should have lunch at Shank & Evelyn's Luncheonette on 10th Street. It's a unique Philadelphia experience and the chicken cutlet sandwiches are to die for. If you do a museum day you'll be on Benjamin Franklin Parkway (Philly's own Champ de Elysee) and can walk from the Art Museum (NOTE: you must get tickets to the Degas exhibit in advance) to the Rodin Museum just a few blocks away. A small but excellent collection of sculpture. If you do the touristy thing at the Bell and Independence Hall, you'll be a few short blocks from Penn's Landing where the Seaport Museum is. Give me a call when you're ready to plan your Striped Bass dinner and I'll be happy to make the reservation for you.

Andrew: My personal favorite combo at Tac's is the white pie with fresh tomato and basil, or the regular pie with spinach and sausage. YUMMMMM... The crust is the star there, as the dough cooks to a perfect crisp, ever-so-slightly-charred-just-at-the-edges base for the delicious and fresh toppings. Three pies for four people??? Wusses! My friends and I usually order one pie per person and fight to take home the leftovers! Of course if my one usual dining companion for Tacconelli's is with me, his two teenage boys can put away a pie apiece and still want leftovers to take home Next time you're in the mood, let me know. I'm always game for a trip to Tac's!

Rosie: I've got the business card right here in front of me so I will merely re-type the info for you. Hours: Tues-Thurs. 11:30 AM -9PM; Fri. & Sat. 11:30 AM-10PM; Sunday 11:30 AM-8PM. Closed Mondays for dining. Jose Diaz gives mambo & salsa dance lessons from 7-10PM Monday evenings while the restaurant is closed for dinner! The restaurant IS BYOB. We brought a bottle of my favorite "grab-it-and-go" $7.00 Spanish wine (Osborne Solaz 2000- 80% Tempranillo/20% Cabernet- delicious and always in my wine rack in multiples) and shared with the owners and had a lovely dinner. I can't comment on the "usual" reservation policy as we had called at 9PM on a Saturday night to see when they stopped serving. We were told 10PM and we wouldn't need reservations. Perhaps the crowds had already left? The address is 550 South Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ. Phone # - 609-396-1517. I hope you get a chance to check this place out. It really deserves to succceed.

Rich: Gary and I tried this place last night and it was fantastic! We got there pretty late (about 9:30 PM) and were the only customers there. We invited Stella Diaz (the chef), her brother Jose and his fiancee Yvette to join us for a glass of wine. What a wonderful meal! We tried one each of the seafood and meat empanandas. The dough was just right and they were delicious. We also tried the mofongo with mixed seafood. The mofongo was molded into a lovely little cup that was over-filled with chopped shrimp, conch and octopus. We also shared the meat and shrimp kabobs and thought they were quite tasty as well. The marinade on the meat and shrimp really gave both items a unique flavor. Huge portion of yellow rice with calamari and beans on the side and we were almost too stuffed to get out of our chairs. We were treated to getting to watch Jose and Yvette practice some of their mambo and salsa moves while we were eating and chatting with Stella. What fun! Of course Stella insisted on having us taste her etherial Coconut Flan (made a believer out of Gary who likes neither flan NOR coconut!) and a sliver of a very tasty chocolate cheesecake with Oreo crust. YUM! The bill for this feast? A whopping $36.00 with tip! Of course having the chef give us tastes of dessert was wonderful, but it was a lot of food for the money, even before that. I really hope this place succeeds, because it couldn't be owned by nicer or more dedicated folks. This is solid Puerto Rican and Island cooking at it's finest. I'll be delighted to go back and try some of the fish entrees as well.

The Verdad retails for anywhere from $14-16. Although slightly more than the Spanish wines, it's a matter of which style you prefer - The "Old World" slightly cooler climate and drier or the "New World" warmer weather, more fruit forward style. In either case, I'd rather be drinking Albarino of either origin with my seafood than almost anything else Perhaps picking up a bottle of the Verdad and enjoying it with a meal you'd usually serve the Spanish version with will give you the best answer. It's a noble experiment at the very least, and a tough job, but someone has to do it!

Damn! So sorry I missed this. Looks like a good time was had by all. And the pictures are great! I'll definitely join y'all next time such a gathering takes place within a two hour's drive radius of me. If there were any way I could've snuck down to Baltimore with Charlie, I would have. Unfortunately being sick earlier in the week really screwed up my plans. And now I'm Beverage Manager by default, since a new sommelier/General Manager has yet to be hired, so it'll be busy, busy for a while. But any excuse to go eat and imbibe with like-minded partners in crime will be a welcome diversion I will look forward to...